Baseball Guru
05-25-2004, 09:10 AM
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=knight-differentrelieverhelpingi&prov=knight&type=lgns
By Sheldon Ocker, Beacon Journal staff writer
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - The Indians signed Matt Miller because they wanted a reliever who could give the bullpen a different look.
Without question, general manager Mark Shapiro and farm director John Farrell picked the right guy. Miller has been dismissed by various organizations on six occasions and arrived in Cleveland with only 13 days of big-league service time, even though he'll he 33 in November.
Is that different enough for you? On the other hand, that's not really what Shapiro and Farrell meant.
"His numbers were very good in every category at Triple-A last year," Farrell said. "And we were looking for someone with an alternative arm slot."
Miller is a right-hander with a sidearm delivery. A different look, for sure. But that's not the only unconventional part of the Matt Miller story.
For starters, why did it take him so long to make it to the majors?
"I guess I'm a little different," Miller said with a grin. "I took the long road."
You might say that Miller started at the bottom and went down.
He pitched for three schools of higher learning -- Mississippi Delta Community College, Northeast Louisiana University and Delta State (Miss.) University -- and was hoping to get drafted. It didn't happen.
So instead of beginning his professional career at the lowest rung of the minor leagues, he got a job testing chemicals at a cotton plantation.
But Miller didn't forsake baseball. Before long, he bid farewell to his day job and returned home to Greenville, Miss., where he lived with his mother and began pitching for a team in the Big South independent league.
"I was a sidearmer in college," Miller said. "But they wanted me to throw overhand. It was pretty bad. One day, my college coach came to watch a game and asked the manager why I was throwing overhand. I think I was on the verge of getting released, but after that game, I went back to throwing sidearm."
Greenville turned Miller into a starter, and in his second season, 1997, he was named the league's pitcher of the year, compiling a 12-3 record and 2.26 earned-run average.
"That's when I got signed by the Rangers," Miller said. "I don't even know if they scouted me. I think they just signed the pitcher of the year and the hitter of the year from our league."
Texas signed Miller on Dec. 1, 1997, and he went to spring training the next February. But his tenure with the Rangers ended on March 29, 1998, when he was released.
"Funny thing is they told me I made the team (high Class A Port Charlotte), and two days later I got released," Miller said.
Miller returned to the independent league team in Greenville, but Texas signed him again in June and sent him to the Rangers' low Class A affiliate in Savannah, Ga.
"Greenville sold my contract for 12 dozen baseballs," Miller said. "They needed batting practice balls, and they liked to make crazy deals like that."
Despite getting a second chance with Texas, Miller had no illusions about being a prospect.
"I think they just needed a pitcher for Savannah, and they knew where I was," he said.
Regardless, he finally was on a path that would lead to the big leagues, though it hardly was the fast track.
Miller performed well enough at Savannah to earn a coveted spot on the Rangers' Arizona Fall League team. At 27, he probably was the oldest or second-oldest player in the league.
Then disaster struck.
"My velocity started creeping up," Miller said. "I got into a workout program, and my fastball was pushing 94 instead of 88. I felt like I was becoming too much of a maximum-effort guy and started having trouble with walks."
Consequently, Miller trimmed several miles per hour off his velocity and began moving up the ladder, albeit haltingly. He went from the Rangers to the San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics to the Colorado Rockies, who eventually cut him loose last October.
The sum total of his big-league experience came last year at Colorado. He made four appearances and pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up one run, two walks and five hits while striking out five.
The Indians, who had tried to trade for Miller, waited until early January to sign him.
"They gave me the best deal," he said. "When I came to camp, they told me I'd get an opportunity. They showed me a lot of respect, telling me what was going on."
In his first two appearances after being called up from Buffalo, Miller blew batters away, giving up one hit and striking out seven in 4 1/3 innings.
"The most impressive thing in Miller's first two outings was his presence on the mound," Farrell said. "He also made quality pitches."
In Miller's third appearance, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Saturday, he entered in the eighth inning with two runs home and a runner on second. Miller walked the first batter intentionally then struck out Julio Lugo to end the inning.
No matter what happens, Miller has no plans to give up on himself.
"I'm going to stay in baseball until nobody wants me," he said. "I can't see myself doing anything else right now."
Something to build on
Cliff Lee gave up more than three runs for the first time this season, when he yielded four Sunday against the Devil Rays. But he thought there were positive aspects to his 7 2/3-inning start.
"After the first inning, everything worked pretty good for me," he said. "I felt I got better as the game went on. I got deep into the game. This is the first time I've pitched into the eighth. I kept it close, we had a chance. That's what I can take from the game, I guess."
How they do it
Is part of Alex Escobar's difficulty at the plate related to pitchers attacking him differently this year?
"When they see that you're struggling with one pitch, they keep throwing it until you hit it," he said.
About the Mariners
Former high-flying Seattle has lost 10 of its past 13 and 11 of its past 17.... Ichiro Suzuki is batting .419 in May and .325 overall.... The Mariners have been shut out five times, only the Devil Rays (6) have been blanked more among American League teams.... Tribe relievers aren't alone in blowing saves. The Seattle bullpen has six saves in 13 opportunities.... Former Cleveland utility infielder Jolbert Cabrera has hit in six consecutive games and is batting .299.
Other stuff
The Indians have played more extra innings games (8) than any team in the league. Their record is 3-5.... For the first time ever, Tampa Bay split its season series with the Tribe (3-3) and swept a three-game set.... The Indians scored only 10 runs in the three weekend games with the Devil Rays, four on solo homers.
Messages for Sheldon Ocker can be sent to socker@thebeaconjournal.com
By Sheldon Ocker, Beacon Journal staff writer
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - The Indians signed Matt Miller because they wanted a reliever who could give the bullpen a different look.
Without question, general manager Mark Shapiro and farm director John Farrell picked the right guy. Miller has been dismissed by various organizations on six occasions and arrived in Cleveland with only 13 days of big-league service time, even though he'll he 33 in November.
Is that different enough for you? On the other hand, that's not really what Shapiro and Farrell meant.
"His numbers were very good in every category at Triple-A last year," Farrell said. "And we were looking for someone with an alternative arm slot."
Miller is a right-hander with a sidearm delivery. A different look, for sure. But that's not the only unconventional part of the Matt Miller story.
For starters, why did it take him so long to make it to the majors?
"I guess I'm a little different," Miller said with a grin. "I took the long road."
You might say that Miller started at the bottom and went down.
He pitched for three schools of higher learning -- Mississippi Delta Community College, Northeast Louisiana University and Delta State (Miss.) University -- and was hoping to get drafted. It didn't happen.
So instead of beginning his professional career at the lowest rung of the minor leagues, he got a job testing chemicals at a cotton plantation.
But Miller didn't forsake baseball. Before long, he bid farewell to his day job and returned home to Greenville, Miss., where he lived with his mother and began pitching for a team in the Big South independent league.
"I was a sidearmer in college," Miller said. "But they wanted me to throw overhand. It was pretty bad. One day, my college coach came to watch a game and asked the manager why I was throwing overhand. I think I was on the verge of getting released, but after that game, I went back to throwing sidearm."
Greenville turned Miller into a starter, and in his second season, 1997, he was named the league's pitcher of the year, compiling a 12-3 record and 2.26 earned-run average.
"That's when I got signed by the Rangers," Miller said. "I don't even know if they scouted me. I think they just signed the pitcher of the year and the hitter of the year from our league."
Texas signed Miller on Dec. 1, 1997, and he went to spring training the next February. But his tenure with the Rangers ended on March 29, 1998, when he was released.
"Funny thing is they told me I made the team (high Class A Port Charlotte), and two days later I got released," Miller said.
Miller returned to the independent league team in Greenville, but Texas signed him again in June and sent him to the Rangers' low Class A affiliate in Savannah, Ga.
"Greenville sold my contract for 12 dozen baseballs," Miller said. "They needed batting practice balls, and they liked to make crazy deals like that."
Despite getting a second chance with Texas, Miller had no illusions about being a prospect.
"I think they just needed a pitcher for Savannah, and they knew where I was," he said.
Regardless, he finally was on a path that would lead to the big leagues, though it hardly was the fast track.
Miller performed well enough at Savannah to earn a coveted spot on the Rangers' Arizona Fall League team. At 27, he probably was the oldest or second-oldest player in the league.
Then disaster struck.
"My velocity started creeping up," Miller said. "I got into a workout program, and my fastball was pushing 94 instead of 88. I felt like I was becoming too much of a maximum-effort guy and started having trouble with walks."
Consequently, Miller trimmed several miles per hour off his velocity and began moving up the ladder, albeit haltingly. He went from the Rangers to the San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics to the Colorado Rockies, who eventually cut him loose last October.
The sum total of his big-league experience came last year at Colorado. He made four appearances and pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up one run, two walks and five hits while striking out five.
The Indians, who had tried to trade for Miller, waited until early January to sign him.
"They gave me the best deal," he said. "When I came to camp, they told me I'd get an opportunity. They showed me a lot of respect, telling me what was going on."
In his first two appearances after being called up from Buffalo, Miller blew batters away, giving up one hit and striking out seven in 4 1/3 innings.
"The most impressive thing in Miller's first two outings was his presence on the mound," Farrell said. "He also made quality pitches."
In Miller's third appearance, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Saturday, he entered in the eighth inning with two runs home and a runner on second. Miller walked the first batter intentionally then struck out Julio Lugo to end the inning.
No matter what happens, Miller has no plans to give up on himself.
"I'm going to stay in baseball until nobody wants me," he said. "I can't see myself doing anything else right now."
Something to build on
Cliff Lee gave up more than three runs for the first time this season, when he yielded four Sunday against the Devil Rays. But he thought there were positive aspects to his 7 2/3-inning start.
"After the first inning, everything worked pretty good for me," he said. "I felt I got better as the game went on. I got deep into the game. This is the first time I've pitched into the eighth. I kept it close, we had a chance. That's what I can take from the game, I guess."
How they do it
Is part of Alex Escobar's difficulty at the plate related to pitchers attacking him differently this year?
"When they see that you're struggling with one pitch, they keep throwing it until you hit it," he said.
About the Mariners
Former high-flying Seattle has lost 10 of its past 13 and 11 of its past 17.... Ichiro Suzuki is batting .419 in May and .325 overall.... The Mariners have been shut out five times, only the Devil Rays (6) have been blanked more among American League teams.... Tribe relievers aren't alone in blowing saves. The Seattle bullpen has six saves in 13 opportunities.... Former Cleveland utility infielder Jolbert Cabrera has hit in six consecutive games and is batting .299.
Other stuff
The Indians have played more extra innings games (8) than any team in the league. Their record is 3-5.... For the first time ever, Tampa Bay split its season series with the Tribe (3-3) and swept a three-game set.... The Indians scored only 10 runs in the three weekend games with the Devil Rays, four on solo homers.
Messages for Sheldon Ocker can be sent to socker@thebeaconjournal.com